


Serendipity of the Highest Degree

by trxshmxxth_rxjxt



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: #daichiisoverparty, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I Want That Twink Obliterated, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I would too, Inspired by TikTok, Kenma is tired asf, M/M, There's a playlist for this, and harry styles, chapter three is gonna rip your heart out with a sppon lol, daichi is a fucking little bitch, flower shop, flowershop/tattoo parlor trope, fuck daichi, he just does, hurt comfort, i hate him, i wrote this litening to hozier, im one too, in progress, kenma and suga are platonically dating, kenma is going to shoot oikawa in the dick, kenma's rich, no beta we die like men, oikawa smells like ink and whiskey, oisuga is fake daking, side pairing kenhina, side side bokuaka because i am self indulgent, sorry suga kins, spirals from 0-100 in .6 seconds, suga's a camboy?, suga's a plot device, suga's an eboy, suga's bathroom is hot asf, suga's been ripped apart at the seam, tattoo parlor, thank you mr harry styles for soundtracking suga's demise, these bitches gay, this hurt you just as much as it did me, this is me speedrunning, will tag when the fic's done
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29485776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trxshmxxth_rxjxt/pseuds/trxshmxxth_rxjxt
Summary: Oikawa is a tattoo artist for his shop, "Inked Majesty", co-owned by Hinata Shoyo. When Sugawara Koshi stops by for a tattoo, his life shifts for the better. Or, for the worst? Iwaizumi. That's a name he hadn't heard in a long time, until the silverette had stepped foot into the shop.[][][][][][][][]inspired by @ou.blaire on tiktok! she's written songs about fanfiction tropes, and this is the first of many fics i plan to produce, so please go check her out. This is going to be sweet soft fluff with side kenhina, so if youre looking for smut, angst, or a mix of the two, they're on my page.i havent written for suga in a long time, but i hope he isn't mischaractered.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma, Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Oikawa Tooru/Sugawara Koushi
Kudos: 10





	1. New Beginnings

Chapter One: New Beginnings  
Oikawa’s pov

The shop was aglow in the seven am light, the leather tattoo benches glowing a light grey. Oikawa smiled to himself as he unlocked the parlor, walking inside to start the workday. His station was exactly as he’d left it, needle gun neatly on the metal tray next to the chair. His co-worker, Hinata, hadn’t arrived yet. But that was typical, as his workday didn’t start until the afternoon. Oikawa usually had the opening shift. Not that he minded, it meant he had the shop mostly to himself and he could play whatever music he liked. 

He grabbed his phone from the pocket of his dark-wash skinny jeans, hooking it up to the aux cord and turning on the playlist he’d specially curated for the shop. It was all spanish slow dance and songs with heavy bass, all from his time in Argentina. Once he set up the music and got it running, he took a moment to admire all he’d worked so hard for. His tattoo parlor, “Inked Majesty”, was his pet project ever since he’d retired from the olympics due to a fracture in his meniscus. One of his best friends and buddies, Hinata Shoyo, had decided to open it with him, leaving volleyball in a similar function after a hard break in his ankle and wrist.

The shop’s scent of ink, leather, and citrus stirred him from his daze, prompting him to get started on setting up for his first customer. He checked his well-kept log book for the first customer of the day. “..Koshi, Sugawara?”

He recognized that name. The third year setter from Karasuno that had taken nationals out of his hands in his third year. But he didn’t hold it against him, he never had. So he’d start the set up, plugging in his needle gun and sanitizing the chair to ward against infection getting into the tattoo. He’d just finished wiping it down with clorox wipes when the bell atop the door rang, and a silver-haired man slipped through the doorway, a rose strewn haphazardly in his hair.

“Hello! I’m.. here for my tattoo appointment?”

Oikawa smiled and stood up, walking up to the sunlit front parlor.

“Hi. You’re in the right place, I’m Oikawa Toruu. I’ll be your artist today.”

Suga smiled brightly, almost rivalling the sun, and held out his hand to shake. 

“I’m Suga!”

Oikawa took his hand and shook it, smiling. “I know. We played against each other in highschool.”

Suga tilted his head and blinked. “Huh? No way! Which team did you play for?”

“Aoba Johsai. You guys beat us to nationals.” Oikawa chuckled at the memory.

Suga got lost in thought for a moment, thinking about the teams he's played in his highschool volleyball career. “Oikawa Tooru? As in, the best setter in the league Oikawa Toruu?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“That’s so cool. You made it all the way to the olympics, didnt you?”

“Yeah, I had to retire though. My knee decided it was time to pass off the torch. Who knows, right?”

“Yeah, who knows.”

There was a momentary silence as the conversation fell dormant. Suga cleared his throat and began to speak again, pulling out his wallet. “Do I pay up front or…?” 

“Oh, usually I charge by the hour and how complex the design is.”

“Oh! Okay. I’ll follow you then?”

“Yeah, just back this way.”

Oikawa walked back to his studio, walls covered in artworks and framed photos of him on the olympic court, to remind him of his past and to keep living for his future. Suga followed, anxiety radiating off of him in waves. He stepped to the side, motioning for Suga to sit on the table. He did as requested, sitting cross legged on the chair. 

“So, first time getting a tattoo?”

“Yeah. I lost a bet with one of my co-workers, Iwaizumi, and my punishment was I had to get a tattoo of my choosing. So, here I am.”  
Iwaizumi. That name sounded familiar to him, but there was no time to reminisce about it. “So, what were you thinking about getting?”

“Just a rose, on my ribs so it’s easy to hide.”

Oikawa looked at him sideways, a brow raised as he pulled on two pairs of latex gloves. “Are you sure? The ribs is a pretty painful spot to tattoo.”

“Meh, I’ll be fine. If I can handle getting spiked in the dick with a volleyball, I’m sure I can handle a few needles. “

Oikawa cringed, feeling the pain radiate in a similar area. “Ouchh. I could only imagine how much that hurt.”

“Oh god, it did. I almost strangled Noya for it, little fucker. “

Oikawa laughed, filling up the little ink caps for the needle. “If you’d remove your shirt, please. “

“Wow, take me out to dinner first. Not like I’m complaining though.” Suga unbuttoned his collared shirt, folding it and neatly hanging it over the arm of the chair.

He stopped for the second, then burst out laughing. He had to set the needle and ink down, otherwise he was afraid he’d drop them both and stab himself then get ink on his shirt in subsequent order. “You. You are the funniest person that has walked into this shop since I opened it.”

Suga laughed along, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye. “ Damn right I am. “

Oikawa finished setting up, turning on the needle gun. The buzz filled the air along with the spanish slow dance music, providing a warm atmosphere for the tattoo. Suga lay back and stretched his arms above his head, giving Oikawa free access to the left side of his ribcage. To his merit, the silverette held still even with being prodded with a needle. Oikawa let his hands take over, assured he’d do a good job even without being half-mentally present. Iwaizumi.. Where’d he heard that name before? It certainly sounded familiar. For some reason unknown, it rung with the name “Iwa-chan.”

How childish the nickname seemed, but it felt so personal to Oikawa. And he didn’t know why. Suga swore under his breath, knocking Oikawa from his thoughts. “You doing ok? Do you need a break?”

“Nah, I’m ok. I guess I underestimated how bad it’d hurt to get it on the ribs. “

“A lot of people do that. Oh, I meant to ask, what’s up with the flower in your hair? Just get out of some weird married couples hotel room or something?”

Suga laughed, but swore again when it jostled the punctured skin. “No, nothing like that. I work at the flower shop next door and Kenma dropped a bundle of roses on my head by accident, and I guess I missed one when I was in a hurry to get here. “

“Oh, what a bastard.” Oikawa refilled his needle, returning to the line-work of the rose in full focus.

“A bastard he is, but he makes good arrangements and keeps customers happy, so it all evens out. “

The door jingled, though it didn’t disturb Oikawa’s steady hands. “Tooru, you back there?”

Oikawa set his needle down on the tray and pushed his chair back. “I’ll be right back, gotta go entertain my co-worker. “

He left the room to reenter the front parlor, pulling off the latex gloves. “I’m with my only client today. You don’t have anything lined up today, right? “

Hinata shook his head, grabbing his sketchbook and pen. “I’ve got a client today, second session. His name is..”

He scrunched his eyes closed, trying to remember his client for the day. “Oh! Yeah, I’m with Atsumu today. “

“Atsumu Miya? Didn’t you date him for a while? “

“Yeah, sorta. We’re friends now.”

Oikawa shook his head, resting his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Only you would end up tattooing your ex. “

“Don’t act like you haven’t.”

“ I haven't, because I don’t have a harem, Shoyo.”

“It’s not a harem!”  
“  
Yeah, whatever. I’ll be in my studio if you need me. “

Oikawa walked back to his studio, putting on a fresh pair of gloves before returning to Suga’s side. He craned his head to look at Tooru. “Who was that?”

“HInata Shoyo. We opened this shop together after we retired from the olympics. “

“Shoyo? Oh, we were on the same team. It seems like we’re all running into each other again, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, I guess we are. Hold still, I’m almost done. “

Suga held still, barely breathing. Tooru finished the last needle stroke, turning off the gun and bringing his posture up. “How does that look?”

Suga stretched his head to look at the inked rose on his ribcage. “It looks great! How much do I owe you?”

Tooru calculated for a moment, multiplying his hourly rate by how long it took. Nine to noon.. “About 200 bucks. “

“Really? I thought it’d be more. “

“My hourly rate is 50 bucks, so any more of a complex tat and it’d be well above 500. “

“Huh. Everywhere else I looked was a flat of 100 to 250. Guess coming here was a good choice, huh?”

Tooru shrugged, wrapping the tattoo in saran wrap to keep it from being damaged, but still shown off. Suga handed him the $200 in cash, sitting up. “Hey, do you mind if we exchange numbers in case I decide to get another tat?”

“Sure. my number’s 080-7486-6935.”

“Great, I’ll text you sometime! Have a good day, Oikawa. “ He stood up, buttoning his shirt back up, gingerly over the tattoo. 

Oikawa nodded, emptying the remaining ink back into their respective containers. The door jingled, letting him know that Suga had exited. His hands slipped into autopilot as he slid into his head. Iwaizumi, Iwaizumi, Iwaizumi. That name seemed to be the only thing he could think about, even though he was sure he hadn’t heard it in over ten years. The emotions it carried though that was what interested the most. He wasn’t sure why, but the more he thought about it, it felt less like the sun and enjoyment, and more of bitter rains and lightning. 

Hinata’s bright voice droned in the background mindlessly entertaining Atsumu, who was surely observing him like no more than a quick fling and a tattoo artist than a person with a mind and soul. Shoyo surely knew that Atsumu wasn’t good for him, but Tooru knew better than to try and stop the spritely ginger. Once he knew what he wanted and how to get it, it was pointless to persuade him otherwise. He was lost in his thoughts, spiraling and falling into the happy memories and the sad, but there was always a face that was missing, or blurred, or never to be seen at all.

A ping from his phone startled him, sending him reeling onto the floor. Hinata popped his head in, attentive as always to the brunette. “You ok?”

“Yup, I’m fine. “

Shoyo disappeared, leaving Oikawa on his own. He picked up his phone, an unnamed number holding center stage on the home page. His lithe fingers opened the message, reading it keenly.

Is this Oikawa?

Oh. This must be Suga, the client from earlier in the day.

Yeah. Is this Suga?

Yup! I thought I’d text so I didn’t forget later.

Makes sense. You up to anything rn?

Nope, just hanging around in the shop. I let Kenma go home early, and Iwaizumi doesn’t work today. So I’m on my own until six.

I don’t have any clients until tomorrow, so would you.. Want to go get dinner with me? My treat. As friends.

That would be nice. 

Does seven work?

Seven is good.  
I’ll.. See you at seven then, Suga.

Call me Koshi. 

I’ll see you at seven, Koshi.

See you then, Tooru!


	2. Idyllic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry this look so long 
> 
> tw: alcohol mention, alcohol consumption, drunks

Chapter Two: Idyllic

SUGA

Suga slid out the door of the tattoo parlor into the afternoon sunlight, the pain from the tattoo ebbing and flowing like waves on a beach. The sun warmed his skin as he walked back to his flower shop, “Fortune Bouquets,” That he’d opened almost a year and a half prior. It was his pride and joy, and his only source of income. His employees and friends were people he’d known since well.. High school, he supposed. Kenma, one of his closest friends after Daichi had gone off-grid, was tired and snappish, but with a good heart.  
Iwaizumi.. He still couldn’t figure him out. He was stone-faced and cold hearted, but he worked at a flower shop. A flower shop. How absurd is that? He finished his walk to the shop, stepping back inside to the atmosphere of florals and bath & body works candles. It was exactly as he’d left it, Kenma lounging on the barstool behind the counter on his PSP. He looked up once the door had jingled, sparing him a momentary glance before going back to his game.   
“So you didn’t die.”  
“I didn’t die, no. “ Suga conceded, setting down his things on a long-discarded chair. Kenma took a sip of the flat Monster energy on the counter next to him, wrinkling his nose at the bitterness. “Kenma, you know you can’t live off of energy drinks forever.”  
“I can sure as hell try.” He scoffed, taking another sip.  
Koshi loosed a sigh, sitting down at a table to review orders. They were all the same, orders of roses or lilies of any sort. His work was slow and not as lucrative as, say, a tattoo artist. The fresh ink on his side twinged as he thought about how lucrative Oikawa’s business must be, and how much more other people must make. Oikawa. He stayed permanent in Suga’s thoughts, even though he should’ve been an artist to him and nothing more. He was simply.. Gorgeous. The way his eyes glittered while he laughed at a terribly executed joke, to the way his tongue poked out slightly when he was focusing. It had almost killed him to take his shirt off in front of him.  
“You’re making that face again.”  
Suga started, dropping his papers. “What face? I’m not making a face. “  
“Yes you are. You have the face of “oh no im gay and in love but it’s only one-sided.”” His voice was painfully flat and blunt, and Suga knew his secret was out. It wasn’t like he was trying to keep it from Kenma, but any attempt to hide something from Kenma was futile. For how quiet and anxiety-ridden he was, he was observant and picked up on any mood. That was why he was a brilliant florist, reading people’s moods like columns in a paper and giving them flowers to match.   
He sighed. “Fine. You win. I just.. That tattoo artist is so pretty. “  
Kenma chuckled, washing down the rest of his drink. “Iwaizumi owes me ten bucks. “  
“What do you mean, Iwaizumi owes you ten dollars?! Did you make a bet about if i’d get attracted to that very well-off looking tattoo artist?”  
“Anyone in a three-mile radius could hear you thinking about how pretty he was. That's why Iwaizumi gave you a bet you couldn’t win, so you’d stop pining and finally talk to him. “  
Koshi groaned, leaning his head over the back of the chair. His papers slid to the floor, meaningless. “You can go home if you like, Kenma. There won’t be any business for the rest of the day.”  
“Are you sure it’s not just because you’re embarrassed that everyone that works here figured out that you’re infatuated with the tattoo artist?”  
“He’s got a name, you know. Oikawa Tooru. “  
“It doesn’t matter what his name is, your attraction is quite.. Sickening. “  
He scoffed. “Don’t think I didn’t see you admiring the ginger through the store window while I wasn’t watching.”  
Kenma offered him a sun-freezing glare. “You didn’t see shit.”  
“Sure, sure. Just get out of here, I’ll close up.”  
Kenma nodded, grabbing his things and packing them into his bag, dipping his head in a goodbye before leaving the shop and entering out onto the busy streets. Suga sat up and picked up his phone, texting Oikawa under the guise of saving the number in his phone. 

I don’t have any clients until tomorrow, so would you.. Want to go get dinner with me? My treat. As friends.

Suga panicked. And Suga panicked HARD. His phone hit the little table he was sitting at, leaving a little scratch on the screen protector. He was half-glad he’d sent Kenma home for the day, having anyone else witness his little freakout would be embarrassing. His fingers, shaking from the excitement, texted back, confirming the date. Then he set his phone back down and checked the clock. 5:30 PM.   
So he had an hour and a half to get ready for his sudden date with Tooru. Ultimately, he decided to run home, shower, change, and run back to the shop all before seven. It was going to be an interesting endeavour, but he’d manage. The first order of business was locking up the shop, to prevent any unruly thief from stealing their floral pride and joy. His keys turned in the lock as soon as he could manage it, papers spilling off of his arms. The store looked gorgeous from the outside, all fairy lights and vines. Koshi smiled to himself.  
Then he set off, walking down the boulevard to his small apartment, a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment on the seventh floor of your standard apartment building, but he loved it, and it was home. He didn’t really need a super big space for himself anyways. The stairs proved to be a bit of a hindrance for him, as he was in a hurry and they only slowed him down. But he managed to make it up all seven flights and inside his living space, dropping his papers onto his kitchen counter.  
Koshi stripped off his shirt on the way to the shower, grabbing a worn-through towel from the small linen closet. By the time he’d arrived at the small bathroom, he was shirtless and pantless, the only covering of any kind on his body was the saran wrap expertly applied around his fresh tattoo. He managed around it, standing under the hot water. It wasn’t the best shower, but his bathroom was as pretty as it could be. With real plants draped everywhere and waterproof LED lights on the tops of the walls, it was surreal and in all honesty, a bit trippy for anyone using the bathroom for the first time.  
The scent of his shampoo and conditioner mingled with the hot water steam, distracting him from his goal of a quick shower. But he made it, eventually, and stepped out of the shower now smelling like good quality bath and body works shampoo and conditioner. A towel now around his waist after drying the moisture out of his hair, he set to blow drying it. Blow drying his unruly silver curls was always an issue for him, as they were naturally curly. Koshi dedicated an honest hour or two every morning blow-drying them straight, but he didn’t have time at the moment. So he made do, drying it as straight as he could in his short time frame.  
His next course of business was to find a proper outfit to wear. Suga owned several nice button-downs, but none of them seemed appropriate to wear on a date with this high-rolling tattoo artist of his. The best thing he could muster together was a silk black button down that was cuffed just below the elbows, and nice dress slacks. He looked classy, but not overdressed. Koshi prayed a little harder while he was sliding on his shoes, worn through Doc Martens with a ½ inch platform.  
Rising off of his bed where he slid on his shoes, he walked back into the bathroom to apply some cologne. Because despite the fact that he was probably very attractive regardless, it probably wasn’t appropriate to show up to a date smelling like warm vanilla sugar from bath and body works. Once he’d finished, he grabbed his keys and stepped outside, locking the door to his apartment. Back down the seven flights of stairs he went, speed-walking back to the flower shop. Koshi checked his watch. 6:45.   
He’d made it with fifteen minutes to spare. So he’d wait for Oikawa, looking for him. But, he didn’t exactly know what he was looking for. Was he looking for the man, or some kind of car? He didn’t know. The clock struck exactly seven and a Mazda Rx-7 Veilside Fortune rolled up out front of the shop. Oikawa was sitting in the driver's seat, very comfortable in the low center of gravity. Toru got out and walked around the front of his car, opening the passenger door.  
“C’mon, get in. I’m taking you out somewhere.”  
Suga startled, before walking forward to get in. “This car is.. Gorgeous.”  
Oikawa chuckled. “Yeah, I know. She’s paid off and everything. “  
Suga bent his knees to get into the car, sitting in the plush leather seat. It smelt like new leather, cologne, and something he couldn’t place. Ink? E-cig?  
Oikawa startled Koshi by sitting back into the driver’s seat, turning the key to start the engine again. The rumble was low and almost unnoticeable, but there was no denying that Toru’s car was a work of art. “Paid off? Jeez, how much do you make?” Koshi’s tone was joking, clearly not expecting an answer.  
Toru started laughing again. “Enough. Tattooing is a shifty business, but you probably know how it is. “  
“Yeah. Running Fortune Bouquets isn’t the most stable job, but probably more stable than tattooing. “  
The car fell silent, the only sound was the low spanish dance music coming from the aux. Koshi studied Toru as he was driving. There was no denying that he was gorgeous, all dark eyes and even darker soul. The only tattoo on his body was a Chinese dragon, starting below his jawline and spiraling below his shirt collar. That is, the only tattoo Suga could see. Oikawa turned his head, flashing Suga a grin. “Like whatcha see?”  
Koshi blushed and turned his head to look out the window, clearly embarrassed.   
Toru laughed again, then turned his key in the ignition and turned off the engine. “We’re here. “  
He opened the door, and stepped onto the concrete. The place they’d arrived at was gorgeous, and it looked like A-listers through and through. Koshi felt out of place, even though he was dressed well enough. Toru walked up next to him and slung an arm around Suga’s waist. He blushed, but didn’t make a move to dislodge it. He leaned in, lodging into Toru’s side. Oikawa leaned in, whispering in his ear. “Go with it? I told my friends here that I was involved with you and they won’t stop pestering me about it. So act like you’re in love with me, shouldn’t be too hard.”  
Koshi thought about it. “Yeah sure, I can work with that. “  
Toru loosed a sigh of relief. They walked in, Suga snug against Oikawa’s side with Toru’s arm around him. Now that he was as close as he was, the unidentifiable scent in his car wasn’t anything he’d thought about. It was the scent of expensive whiskey. The door to the restaurant opened to the sound of chatter and drinks clicking. Toru led them to a table away from the center of attention, but still close enough to be near the entertainment. The table was a six-seater, bigger than what they needed. But Oikawa did mention that he had friends arriving..  
“HEY HEY HEY!”  
A loud voice boomed towards them, loud and full of excitement. Koshi turned his head, to see another head of silver bounding towards them. The body attached to the head was buff and clearly built for volleyball. Koshi knew who this was. This was Bokuto Koutaro, the Ace for Fukurodani. A few people followed him, a quiet scholarly type, and a tall business-man, with the worst case of bed head he’d ever seen.   
Toru laughed heartily. “Kuroo, Bokuto, Akaashi, how are you guys?”  
The trio took their seats, Kuroo sitting next to him. “Pretty good Toru, pretty good. “  
The other two, Bokuto Koutaro and his accompaniment, sat on the opposite side of the table, hands intertwined. Kuroo and Bokuto began to engage in a conversation all over the place, ranging from Kou’s recent volleyball game, all the way to the new pair of underwear Kuroo had bought with little cats on them.   
Koshi smiled and slipped his hand into Tooru’s. Just to keep up appearances, He told himself. But he knew deep down that it wasn’t just for the appearance. “So, Sugawara Koshi, huh? Tooru has told us a lot about you!”  
Suga blushed. “He has?”  
Oikawa looked away from the group, instead choosing to look out the window a few feet away, mostly to spare himself from the surefire embarrassment to ensue if Kuroo and Bokuto caught him blushing.   
Bokuto nodded his head enthusiastically. “Mhm! Every time we meet up it’s the same thing, “oh woe is me im pining again oh noo what a shame please pity my dear friends-”  
Oikawa leaned over to punch Kou in the arm, a futile attempt considering the man was mostly muscle. “I do not!”  
Kuroo snorted. “Yes you. Don’t think we won’t tell him about that time last saturday you got drunk and- “  
Oikawa blanched, talking over Kuroo to save himself from embarassment, when the server girl walked up. She wasn’t tall by any means, but built like she was meant for sports. “Hello welcome to Cye, I’m Tori and I’ll be your server tonight, can I get you guys started with any drinks. “  
“You can get me started with your number, pretty thing.” That would’ve gone over smoothly, but he threw a pair of finger guns after it. Finger guns. What a dweeb.   
“No thanks. Drinks?”  
Kou butted into the conversation. “I’ll get a crown royal and coke, and akaashi will take a half glass of pinot noir. “  
“Well aren’t you two fancy? I’ll take a whiskey and coke, on the rocks. Thanks. “  
Oikawa looked at the menu, realizing he hadn’t figured out what he wanted yet. Suga hadn’t either, but he was probably going to just stick with his usual Dr Pepper and lemon. Kawa hadn’t let go of Koshi’s hand at all, but it wasn’t like he minded. Tooru’s hands were calloused and strong from years of both tattooing and volleyball.   
“I’ll do a Bourbon sour, and for him, he’ll do a raspberry margarita. “  
Koshi looked at Oikawa in mild shock. Why had he ordered for him?  
“Trust me, cutie. It’s no fun if the cute one is the only one sober and the rest of us are drunk off our asses. “  
He turned over to Keiji, striking up a conversation about a piece of literature. Watching Akaashi go from quiet and reserved to excited and fast paced was a culture shock Suga didn’t expect, but it was welcome to get his mind off of the fact that Oikawa just called him cute twice in the same sentence. Watching the two converse was like rocket science, hard to figure out but absolutely gorgeous in multiple ways.   
The server girl came back, with a tray of drinks. She passed them out to the group, and when she placed Suga’s margarita in front of him, she whispered a warning. “All of them get drunk moderately fast, and Oikawa gets handsy. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  
She walked away, sliding through the crowd like ice through a drink. Suga took a sip of his fruity little alcoholic drink, and hummed at the pleasant fruity taste. It was like summer and winter at the same time, a soft sparkler of alcoholic taste before a solid river of fruity taste. It was, in all honesty, probably one of his new favorite drinks.   
Oikawa chugged his drink in half the time, coughing from the sharp burn of the bourbon. Kuroo matched it, chugged down his crown royal and coke. Akaashi, still image of reason, took a slow sip from his Pinot noir and watched Kou, his loyal boyfriend; and possibly his husband, Koshi noted, from the sparkly black matte ring glinting on his left hand’s ring finger in the suburban dim white lighting of the restaurant. Kuroo started to.. Flirt? With Oikawa? He couldn’t really tell, only that they were now obviously more comfortable with the booze running through their veins. Kawa squeezed his hand softly, almost lovingly, looking down at him like Koshi had hung the moon in the sky. It was enchanting, and Koshi started right back, falling victim to the soft honey brown in his eyes.  
“Hey, lovebirds! “  
Koshi started, looking towards Kuroo, who was currently holding his empty glass aloft. “If you guys are done being sickeningly in love, let’s play a little game to know the new guy. “  
Oikawa laughed. “You crazy genius! Let’s do it!”  
Koshi shrugged. “Sure, let’s go for it.”  
Kou nodded frantically in agreement, swallowing down the rest of his royal & coke.   
“I’ll start. Never have I ever slept with a co-worker.”  
Suga put his pointer finger down on his left hand without shame, along with Oikawa and Kou. The group looked at him in dismay. “Really? Which one?”  
Koshi answered first. “Iwaizumi, work trip to southern california, it was one time. Next?”  
“Hinata, fling in brazil, it was a fling. “  
“Akaashi, here in Tokyo, multiple times & ongoing. “ Kou smirked at Akaashi, who was staring into his wine glass like he wanted to melt into the floor.   
“Suga, since you’re so keen on spilling all your secrets here at this table, you go next. Server, another drink please?” Tetsu called over to Tori, who was ghosting around listening to conversations. She sighed and walked over, plucking the glass out of his hand and walking back towards the open bar for a refill.  
“Well… Never have I ever exposed my co-workers crush in front of said crush. “  
Kuroo put a finger down. “And I bet you can guess who it was, too. “  
The group laughed, excluding Akaashi who drained the last of his wine and called for a refill as well. It went on like that for a while, fingers going down, drinks going up, then down in quick succession. Oikawa’s hand now rested on the upper part of his thigh, heavy warmth radiating off of him. His top half was leaned over Suga, his head on his shoulder, flirting terribly. “Hey cutie~. Who are you here with?” He slurred, almost not comprehesibly.   
“You, you drunk dork. “ He giggled, draining the last of his first margarita and pushing the class away, opting to merely be buzzed instead of blacked out like Oikawa was going to be, who was halfway through his fourth glass of bourbon sour. Kou was hanging off of Keiji, laughing drunkenly as he rested on his strong shoulders. Kuroo flirted away with the server girl, who looked pissed but also enjoying it.  
Kawa gripped the corners of his jaw, pulling him towards him. Koshi blinked, locking eyes with him. Then it happened. Kawa’s lips were on his, kissing him in the way that drunk people do that’s so enchanting but so.. sloppy. Koshi enjoyed it, kissing back and weaving his wrists around Kawa’s neck. Tooru pulled Koshi onto his lap, hands wandering. When Tori said Oikawa got handsy, they weren’t lying.  
“Come on bubs, let’s go back to my apartment. You’re too tipsy to drive.”  
“Whatever you say, pretty thing. Hey shitheads! I’m going home for the night.”  
Kuroo offered him a thumbs up and returned to offending/flirting the server girl.  
Koshi clambered off of Tooru, pulling his keys out of his pocket since he didn’t drive. They left the restaurant, walking out to the Veilside Fortune and sliding into the drivers seat. Oikawa tucked himself into the passenger seat, holding Koshi’s right hand. Suga turned on the car, surprised at the streamlined rumble of the engine. He drove home to his apartment near his shop, pulling into the parking garage adjacent to the building.   
He got out, walking around the other side to open the passenger door for Kawa. Tooru got out, clinging to Suga’s waist. He giggled, locking the doors and pocketing his keys. The pair of them walked into the building and up the sevenish flights of stairs, stopping briefly to unlock the door to the apartment, which Oikawa promptly utilized to leave little hickeys on Koshi’s exposed collar.  
The door opened to his sweet smelling apartment, the smell of bath and body works still lingering. Koshi led Oikawa to his bedroom, where he slipped off his shoes and motioned for Oikawa to do the same. He did, sliding off his creaseless black dress shoes, and falling into the bed, unbuttoning his shirt. Koshi took off his shirt and grabbed an oversized shirt he’d stolen from Kenma, walking into the bathroom to remove his pants and put on the shirt.  
When he returned to the gorgeous man in his bed, tucked under his comforter. Koshi slid under it as well, tucking himself into Kawa’s chest. What was he doing?   
He didn’t know. He’d just have to figure it out in the morning.


	3. Gossamer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please read the trigger warnings and heed them.  
> NOTE: I am not romanticizing abusive relationships, sexual or otherwise. If you are in this situation currently, seek help. This is a work of fiction.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:
> 
> Abuse, Implied Abuse, bruising, bleeding, abusive relationship, thought of/implied/suspected cheating

Chapter Three: Gossamer

Suga

Bright sunshine streamed in through the worn curtains, directly into Suga’s eyes. The sweet warmth of the comforter and bedsheets were more favorable than the biting cold of his apartment, because he was too cheap to pay for the heater unless it was 32 degrees or below. Koshi nuzzled back into the pillow, pulling the comforter over his broad shoulders. A pair of arms pulled around his waist, pulling him closer to someone. 

Wait, someone? Suga opened his eyes and turned around, now facing the mystery man. Oikawa. Kawa was asleep peacefully, arms around Koshi’s waist and chin nestled in the juncture between Koshi’s shoulder and neck. He looked so peaceful asleep, no longer sporting that weird, haunted look in his eyes or his arrogant smile. He looked young, even boyish, though they were long past college. Koshi smiled down at him, threading a hand through Kawa’s hair. The tattoo he always wore like a necklace was prevalent, and he could see now that it extended down past his collar and curled down under his right arm, the beautifully inked tail resting on the right side of his ribs. A small chuckle left Suga. 

He could imagine waking up to this face every morning, watching him stretch his long, nimble arms above his head and rewind them around his waist, complaining into Suga’s shoulder about not wanting to get up yet. It felt so tangible, so real, like he could reach out and touch it. He, very unfortunately, did not get to finish his little dream, as Tooru started to wake up. Oikawa’s eyes, still heavy with sleep, looked up at Koshi like he’d hung the moon in the sky along with the winking stars the world saw every night. “Good morning, cutie. “

He pressed a kiss to the underside of Koshi’s jaw and dropped his head back to a pillow, cherishing the last few minutes of sleep and warmth. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Did you enjoy your sleep?”

“Mhm, I did. “ 

“That’s good. Do you want me to go make breakfast and you can take a shower?”

Kawa nodded sleepily. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll get up in a bit. “

Koshi offered a sleep-induced smile, kissing his forehead before getting out of bed, shivering at the sudden contrast from warm to cold. He shrugged on the little slippers on the side of the bed, protecting his feet from the biting wooden floors. Koshi walked out into his little living room with kitchen attached, small and obviously meant for one, meaning to start up breakfast. But that never happened, as he had passed by the mirror in the opening of the bathroom. 

Hickeys painted the side of his neck and down his collarbone in patterns of purples, pinks, blues, yellows, and sickly green. Koshi froze, staring dumbfounded into his reflection.

The scene changed for the worse, and it was as if he was walking through a memory. It was grey, and cold, and felt so terribly lonely. A figure, which he did recognize, walked up behind him. His expression was not pleasant. Daichi Sawamura, his ex boyfriend before he’d gone off-grid. He was standing behind him, arms wrapped menacingly around his waist, and chin on his shoulder. The bruises on his neck started to pattern down his arms, fading out into deep purple handprints ending on his wrists.

“You know I love you right?” Dachi’s voice was immediate in his ear, deep and dark and as panic-attack inducing as it had been last… last night? Why did he think of last night, when last night he’d been out with Oikawa? Oikawa was supposed to be different. He was different. So why did he think of last night? 

“Answer me. “

Daichi’s hand gripped his bony wrists tightly, forcing him back to his focus. Koshi nodded shakily. “Yes, I know. I love you too. “

He said this, mostly, to remind himself, that he was still here, and that he was still loved.

“Good. “

Sawamura released his wrist, walking into the kitchen, leaving Koshi shaking and shivering in front of the mirror. The bruises are out of love, he reminded himself. Or he tried to. "You are nothing without him."

The scene changed. It was rainy, and wet, and cold, and desolate, and he was so afraid. It hurt to breathe, like there was a sharp stabbing pain in his ribs. Liquid dripped off of his face, diluting into a reddish pink. Blood. 

Sugawara stood cowering in the rain, Daichi pacing menacingly in front of him. He started yelling, loud voice echoing around.. Where were they? Koshi didn’t know. He assumed in front of his apartment building, as it rained frequently where it was located in Matsuyana, Shikoku Island, Japan. 

“How could you be so stupid? The shop almost went under, because of YOU!”

Koshi cowered backwards. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll try harder-”

“No. You’ve tried hard enough. “

Was this a break that Koshi could finally catch, in the relentless months of sleepless nights trying to keep Fortune Bouquets afloat while Daichi went out and did whatever?

“We’re done. “

We’re done. The words echoed in his ears, and he didn’t catch the rest of the sentence. Lucky for him, Daichi repeated it.

“We’re done, do you hear me? You’re useless! I was so stupid for ever thinking you were worth anything. “

He turned, and walked off into the rain. That was the last time Koshi saw Sawamura Daichi. Once he was sure that he was gone and left, he fell onto his knees and wept his eyes out to the cold comfort of the asphalt. 

He’s gone. The only person who ever loved you and you lost him. He said he regretted it too. You’re such an idiot, Koshi. Who could ever be stupid enough to love YOU?

“Hey, Suga, are you.. Ok? You looked spaced out, like you were about to cry. “

Koshi flinched away from the voice, wrapping his arms around himself and holding onto his elbows, only finding solace within himself. “Don’t touch me.”

Kawa put his hands up, backing away. Suga turned around once he had assured he was not about to start crying. The pose Tooru was in reminded him frighteningly, of Daichi. For a moment, and only a moment, Daichi was there inside of Oikawa, holding his hands up and pretending to be the victim, after another one of their.. Fights. That was never what he called it.

Oikawa, (or Daichi, he couldn’t be sure anymore), started to walk towards him, concern splashed across his face. But it didn’t seem real. He almost.. Didn’t want it to be real. Koshi backed away, head down, towards the door. Tooru followed, pleading with him to tell him what was up and why he was acting so different from the hour previous.

Suga couldn’t answer. Something had caught in his throat, stopping him from responding. “Please, Suga, honey, tell me what’s happening. “

Honey. 

That was what Daichi called him, when he was feeling affectionate. It scared him.

Koshi shook his head, backing out the door, sliding on a pair of non-descript shoes, taking the keys to the apartment with him. Where was he going? He didn’t know. Anywhere away from the apartment, away from Oikawa, away from the memory of him. Koshi made it out side of the apartment building, now standing in the pouring rain in only Kenma’s oversized 2011 nintendo shirt, a pair of old basketball shorts, and flip-flops.

How wonderfully convenient for how he felt, lost and distraught and so, so horribly under-prepared. Where could he go? He didn’t have very many options, so to speak.  
Kuroo, Bokuto, and Akaashi seemed nice enough, but he did not have their addresses nor their phone numbers to ask for them. Iwaizumi.. Where was he?

Oh, that’s right, Iwaizumi is on a business trip to California for some kind of meeting, Suga reminded himself, counting off his options on his fingers. Oikawa was, well, the whole reason he was out here freezing his balls off in the rain. That, in part with his mentality.

There was one more person he thought of, that was usually home around this time. Kenma, one of his closest friends, was home on saturdays, involved in some sort of.. Tournament.

The thought of a tournament brought little tears into the corners of his eyes, reminding him of what was and what could never be again; The Karasuno Highschool Volleyball Boys Team. The mere thought of celebrating like that again, his boys beside him and the sun to his back and the wind on the horizon pulled him into a dark, watery place. His feet started to move, through the rain, swirling wind, and his thoughts.

Some kind of unconscious tether pulled him towards Kenma’s high-scale apartment, also on the seventh floor, but bigger and more comfortable. More often than not, unless it was ninety degrees or above, he was running the heater, simply because he could. Koshi smiled fondly at the thought of his cold-blooded friend, always cold and never warm enough. When they were younger, during training camps when everyone was asleep, Kenma would crawl into Suga’s futon and curl up beside him. He never minded, he has more than enough warmth to spare. 

He stopped at the front of Kenma’s building, looking up at the high class apartments extending above sea level. He picked out the windows of Kenma’s apartment, watching for the flashes of whatever game he’d immersed himself in on saturdays. Suga walked into the building, looking for the front desk lady. “Hello?”

A head poked out of a doorway behind the desk, a body following behind it. The desk lady was awfully tall, all awkward limbs and fidgety fingers, playing with a stray string on the bottom of their hemmed button down. “Oh, hello! Are you here for someone or are you looking to rent an apartment?”

The desk lady looked him over, sitting down and tucking their brunette waves behind one ear. “I’m looking for.. Kenma. Kenma Kozume?”

“Oh, Ken! Floor seven, apartment 8B. He’s in some kind of tourney right now, so if he doesn’t answer, just come back later. “

“Oh, Okay, thank you. “ He nodded his thanks, and shakily made his way to the stairs.

He begun his climb, ascending the stairs to the seventh floor, hoping to be offered solace by a long time friend. He made it to the floor after a painstaking climb floor after floor, tears streaking down his usually pallid face splattered with freckles. Koshi stopped at the door, labelled apartment 8B. Suga raised a hand and knocked softly, praying it could be heard over the sounds of Kenma’s game, which were unlikely. 

To his surprise, the door opened to Kenma, standing in a pair of red sweatpants, skin-tight black tanktop, headphones askew. His hair, which was a gorgeous black to blonde, was tied into a loose bun at the base of his neck, probably to cool himself off in the stress of gaming. “Who- Koshi?”

He nodded weakly, wiping a stray tear that hadn’t dried yet off of his cheek.

Ken opened the door to his apartment, inviting suga inside. Koshi opted for pulling  
Kenma into a tight embrace, hiding his face in the toned shoulders of the gamer and  
former setter. He jolted, then wrapped his arms around him in return, pulling him closer. 

“Hey Koshi, we should go inside, yeah? Where it’s a little warmer, and you can sit down?”

He nodded, pulling back and wiping his tears on his hands. He felt so.. Pathetic. But it was safe here. Kenma wouldn’t hurt him. Ken grabbed his hand softly, making sure to avoid gripping tightly to his wrist. Koshi allowed it, letting him lead him to the couch stationed in front of the TV. “Do you.. Wanna talk about it?”  
Suga shook his head. He didn’t want to relive it, not yet. All he wanted, at this moment, was to be held in Kenma’s arms and feel safe and appreciated and placated again,  
Ken seemed to understand, leaning back and patting his chest, insinuating that Suga could lay on him.

He jumped on the chance, burying his face into Kozu’s chest. He welcomed it, setting a pillow behind his back and sliding off his headset to pay close attention to Koshi’s mood shifts, opting to thread his arms over Suga’s shoulders and hold his controller on his shoulder blades.

Koshi felt safe here, in this haven of warmth and the scent of white pumpkin and cinnamon, the same thing he’d smelt like since they were in highschool, way back when they cuddled for the first time at the Tokyo training camp. Kenma took his hand off of the controller sometimes, threading his hands through Koshi’s hair in a way that he knew he loved and adored, the senior florist melting into the gamer boy. His tears dried after a long while, leaving dried tracks down his face, but they were dried, and that’s what he wanted, after all.

Eventually, the tournament ended, sometime around two am. It was late, and Koshi was exhausted, but it was quality time with Kenma he didn’t want to miss. Kozu noticed this, setting the controller onto the coffee table after remotely turning off the console. “You can sleep, Ko, I’m right here. It’s okay, you’re safe now. “

Somehow, that was what he needed to hear, little tears beading onto his cheeks. “Thank you, Ken.”

He went out like a light, curled up in Kenma’s arms so much like they’d cuddled together as highschoolers.

Kenma smiled down at him, petting his hair and placing a light kiss on his forehead, not in a way that he would wake up, but enough to remind him that someone still cared about him. The poor guy had been through so much in such little time. It wasn’t fair, he didn’t deserve that to happen to him. But, no one deserved for anything to happen to them, fate merely got bored with the predetermined plan they’d set out, and twisted the strings to become enjoyable to them at someone else’s expense. 

He wondered who could’ve done this to his senior, manager, and friend. Daichi? Daichi had been imprisoned and institutionalized years before, though he plagued Suga’s mind always. He could see it in his eyes even when he tried to hide it from the world. It still hurt.

So who else could it have been? Oikawa.

Oikawa, the snivelling idiot who had purchased his current workspace from Kenma when he transitioned from tattooing to floristism. He still had his phone number, or at least he thought he did, under the contact “stupid fucking idiot, dni”

He texted the number, angrily asking if he hurt Koshi in any way, shape or form, mentally or physically, He threw in a fun little; “I swear to god, if you hurt him, I am going to replace your finger and toe nails with rose stems. “

The response back was underwhelming. “No, I didn’t hurt him you crazy loon. He freaked out on me and ran off, it was his fault, not mine. “

The words brought a barely audible snarl to his lips, careful not to wake Ko. 

“You don’t know what you’re doing to him. “  
Oikawa

Oikawa started dumbfoundedly at his phone, sitting on the couch in Suga’s apartment. “He didn’t know what he was doing to him?”

Of course he didn’t. He didn’t know Koushi, and Koushi didn’t know him. He didn’t want it to be like that, but it seemed he would not receive a chance to change it. A knock on the door rippled through the quiet space. Was Suga back to make amends and explain, or was Kenma at the door about to dish out an ice cold can of whoop ass upon Oikawa. He got up, mildly terrified, and opened the door a crack.

It was neither of the two options, instead, it was a tall male figure that seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place it. “...Hello?”

“Hello? Is Koushi home?”

Oikawa opened the door, standing at his full shirtless height of 6’1. “No, he isnt. Tooru Oikawa, a pleasure. “

The muscly guy stiffened at the sound of his name, backing away. “Oh. Never mind, have a good day, goodbye. “

He ran off oh so suddenly, sprinting down the stairs shooting off a quick text to someone.

Oikawa wondered who that was as he went to sit down, when it hit him like a brick to the nose. Iwaizumi Hajime. 

The elusive ace who was his best friend all through middle and highschool was at this random florist’s apartment, alone, assumingly unannounced. “God, I’m such an IDIOT!”

Of course Suga had ran when he realized he was in bed with him, Iwaizumi and Suga were dating! 

Of course, that had to be the answer, it was the only logical conclusion. Wasn’t it?


End file.
